A US federal judge in New York has ordered the release of a document purported to be a suicide note written by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Kenneth Karas did not authenticate the note but ruled it was a judicial document subject to public access.
The note, released on Wednesday, was submitted in the criminal case of Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer and convicted murderer who was Epstein's cellmate. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, ruled a suicide by authorities.
Tartaglione's lawyers said he found the note while sharing a cell with Epstein for about two weeks in July 2019. Handwritten on a yellow legal pad, it read: "They investigated me for month – Found NOTHING!!! So 15 year old charges resulted." It continued: "It is a treat to be able to choose ones time to say goodbye. Watcha want me to do – Burst out cryin!! NO FUN – NOT WORTH IT!!"
Tartaglione, serving four consecutive life sentences for drug-related murders, had previously mentioned the note in a podcast interview, saying it was tucked inside a book in their shared cell. Epstein died weeks later, on August 10, 2019.
The note's existence gained renewed attention following a New York Times report last year, which noted it was never seen by federal investigators and was absent from millions of Epstein-related documents released by the Justice Department. The Times formally requested its release.
Epstein's influential social circle—including billionaires, celebrities, and politicians—and the circumstances of his death have long fueled intrigue. Last year, the US Congress passed a rare bipartisan bill requiring the Justice Department to release all files related to its Epstein investigation.
President Donald Trump, who acknowledged a past friendship with Epstein, initially opposed the legislation but signed it into law in November. The Justice Department has since released millions of documents, but lawmakers have questioned the completeness of the release.
Lawmakers are also conducting their own investigation, subpoenaing current and former US officials, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. On Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified before the House Oversight Committee. Committee Chairman James Comer said Lutnick had not been "100 percent truthful" about his ties to Epstein, as documents showed meetings up to 2012, contrary to Lutnick's claim of cutting ties in 2005.
Source: www.aljazeera.com